


The Chase

by meils121



Category: Leverage
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Heist, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meils121/pseuds/meils121
Summary: “See, this is why people are starting to think you’re crazy.”  Sterling drawls from the office door.  Nate doesn’t look up from the file he’s currently staring at, just flips Sterling off.  God, the man’s insufferable.Or:  The story of how Nate and Sophie first meet.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20
Collections: The Leverage Exchange Master Collection





	The Chase

**Author's Note:**

  * For [epeeblade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/epeeblade/gifts).



There are twenty-seven file folders bursting with eyewitness statements strewn across the floor of Nate’s office. Blurry pictures - stills from security cam footage and several cell phones - decorate a large board. A map hanging on the opposite wall has pushpins stabbed into cities across Europe. 

“See, this is why people are starting to think you’re crazy.” Sterling drawls from the office door. Nate doesn’t look up from the file he’s currently staring at, just flips Sterling off. God, the man’s insufferable.

“No, they think that because you started that rumor.” Nate says. 

“Details.” Sterling walks into the office - unfortunately for Nate - and sits down at Nate’s desk. “When are you going to give this up? It’s a fool’s errand.”

“That’s only because you couldn’t catch her.”

There’s a lengthy silence at that. Most of these files were in Sterling’s office up until a few weeks ago. They were his cases, not Nate’s. 

Sterling recovers. “It’s not one person, Nate. I’ve explored that possibility before. Hell, you were with me for some of this. You know as well as I do that a couple of pixelated pictures of the back of a woman’s head aren’t enough to prove anything.”

“I’m onto something.” Nate tells him. “If you want to know what it is, stop being so rude.”

\--------

Sterling, of course, attempts to take credit for Nate’s discovery. Luckily, he’s still a little too fuzzy on the specifics to be taken totally seriously, although Nate’s still stuck with him on this investigation. 

They’re in Bruges, the sort of city that looks like it should only exist in the dead of winter with a thick layer of snow, not in the middle of a heat wave. There’s a party happening tonight, a gala celebrating some obscure artist. 

The only link - the only possible connection Nate was able to find - is this artist. It’s arguably improbable at best, but Nate’s bosses are desperate enough that they’re willing to take the chance. So Nate and Sterling don their best suits and Nate manages to wrangle his hair into ‘boyish charm’ rather than ‘bedhead’. 

The gala is in full swing when they arrive. Sterling is saying something about checking the security, but Nate’s not paying attention because he’s found her.

She’s holding a glass of wine in one hand and has her other hand resting lightly on the suit lapel of the middle-aged dignitary she’s talking to. She catches Nate’s eye from across the room and her smile goes from polite to downright dangerous. Bingo.

“I was wondering when I would get to meet you.” The woman says when Nate makes his way over to her. She has an accent, although Nate can’t quite place it. “You’ve got quite the reputation.”

“You would have one, if you were less careful.” Nate says. “But as it is, I can barely convince a soul you even exist.”

Something flashes in the woman’s eyes. “I’m real.” She says. “Although, of course, only sometimes.” She extends a hand, positioned so it’s clear she intends for Nate to kiss it rather than shake. Nate shakes it anyways, just to see if it catches her off guard. She doesn’t blink. “Sophie.” 

“Nate.”

“I know.” Sophie reminds him. “I’m impressed you got this far. You won’t get any further, of course, but it was good to get a chance to lay eyes on my new challenger.”

“I’ll catch you.” Nate says, confidence and arrogance easy in his voice. He has Sophie now, knows who he’s looking for and how she plays a room. 

“Oh, darling.” Sophie pats his hand and smiles. “No one can catch me. But I’m sure I’ll be seeing you.”

Another painting goes missing that night. There are no witnesses, just a confused security guard who keeps muttering about the love of his life sweeping him off his feet and charming the security camera tapes from him. 

Nate’s found the chase of his life.


End file.
